Cybersecurity Risks and Preventive Action

Even with so much information available about how to protect your network and business from data breaches and cyber attacks, a surprising number of businesses aren’t prepared. Read on to learn about how to make your company an exception.

Know and Understand the Risk

A recent Forbesarticle reports on a new survey of 600 IT security and IT Operations decision-makers. The results reveal the level of risk to networks and the level of business’s preparation—and how much education and preparation are still needed. According to survey results, 60% of respondents had a data breach within the last two years, and more than 30% had experienced more than one breach. Vulnerabilities can occur anywhere—in a company’s on-premise systems, or through an employee’s mobile device accessed in an unsecured area. All it takes is one weak spot in the network, to compromise the entire system. Common causes of breaches include lack of security protocols to begin with (52% of respondents), unpatched software (51%), and lack of automation in patch application.

Steps to Protect Your Network’s Security

Instead of simply lamenting the lack of security, these statistics serve to point the way to achieving network security. Knowing problems common to businesses can guide your business in what aspects of network security to focus on first. Businesses can start by performing a network audit to find any weak spots where network security vulnerabilities may exist.

Be sure to check that OS patches are up-to-date, and that antivirus and anti-malware definitions are current. Monitor endpoints including mobile devices and devices used by remote workers and perform periodic network scans to detect any data bottlenecks or weak spots. Depending on the nature of data your company gathers, and whether the company is subject to special industry regulations, public or private cloud environments can be used to protect and back up data. Just as important as these technical measures is educating your employees about how to recognize malware intrusions that can occur via “phishing” emails and how to identify and report breaches.

While the chance of a cyberattack will always exist, the risk to your business can be minimized. To evaluate and start improving the security of your network, contact your technology advisor today to get started.